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Notes

Windshine, for SATB chorus and cello, begins as a joyful carol about singing carols and ends with a fervent wish for lasting peace. For carolers in northern places, the invigorating winter wind seems more solid than mere air. It makes stars seem brighter and “shines cheeks like cherries”. The wordplay of a wind that shines was inspired by a conversation with my nephew Christopher Galdi when he was about 13 years old. This music is dedicated to his memory.

The carol itself combines the choral parts with the cello in several roles: a supportive bass, a free-ranging caller with elaborate, slightly bluesy phrases eliciting the choral response, and an ostinato that propels the verses forward. The choral parts are mainly modal, chordal, and diatonic, but they slip into lusher 7th chords and contrapuntal moments, particularly at the climax.